Battery impedance tracking during charging

Abstract

A battery characterization system includes a drive-sense circuit (DSC), memory that stores operational instructions, and processing module(s) operably coupled to the DSC and the memory. Based on a reference signal, the DSC generates a charge signal, which includes an AC (alternating current) component, and provides the charge signal to a terminal of a battery via a single line and simultaneously to senses the charge signal via the single line to detect an electrical characteristic of the battery based on a response of the battery. The DSC generates a digital signal representative of the electrical characteristic of the battery. The processing module(s), based on the operational instructions, generate the reference signal to include a frequency sweep of the AC component of the charge signal (e.g., different frequencies at different times or multiple frequencies simultaneously) and processes the digital signal to characterize the battery across the different respective frequencies and generate spectrum analysis (SA) information of the battery.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A battery impedance tracking system comprising:
 a drive-sense circuit (DSC) operably coupled to generate a charge signal that includes an AC (alternating current) component based on a reference signal, wherein the charge signal used for both charging of a battery and characterization of the battery during charging of the battery, wherein, when enabled, the DSC configured to:
 provide the charge signal to a terminal of the battery via a single line and simultaneously to sense the charge signal via the single line such that the charge signal provided via the single line facilitates both the charging of the battery and the characterization of the battery during the charging of the battery, wherein sensing of the charge signal includes detection of impedance of the battery including change of the impedance of the battery that is based on a response of the battery to the charge signal; and 
 generate a digital signal representative of the impedance of the battery including the change of impedance of the battery that is based on the response of the battery to the charge signal: 
 
 memory that stores operational instructions; and 
 one or more processing modules operably coupled to the DSC and the memory, wherein, when enabled, the one or more processing modules is configured to execute the operational instructions to track the impedance of the battery including the change of impedance of the battery that is based on the response of the battery to the charge signal during the charging of the battery. 
 
     
     
       2. The battery impedance tracking system of  claim 1 , wherein, when enabled, the one or more processing modules is further configured to execute the operational instructions to generate an impedance profile of the battery during the charging of the battery. 
     
     
       3. The battery impedance tracking system of  claim 1 , wherein, when enabled, the one or more processing modules is further configured to execute the operational instructions to generate a first impedance profile of the battery during a first charging cycle of the battery and a second impedance profile of the battery during a second charging cycle of the battery. 
     
     
       4. The battery impedance tracking system of  claim 3 , wherein, when enabled, the one or more processing modules is further configured to execute the operational instructions to:
 determine a change between the first impedance profile of the battery during the first charging cycle of the battery and the second impedance profile of the battery during the second charging cycle of the battery; and 
 process the change between the first impedance profile of the battery during the first charging cycle of the battery and the second impedance profile of the battery during the second charging cycle of the battery to determine that the battery is trending towards failure. 
 
     
     
       5. The battery impedance tracking system of  claim 4 , wherein, when enabled, the one or more processing modules is further configured to execute the operational instructions to:
 execute or facilitate one or more operations based on a determination that the battery is trending towards failure. 
 
     
     
       6. The battery impedance tracking system of  claim 5 , wherein the one or more operations includes at least one of:
 error notification; 
 facilitation of an operational change to the battery or a device associated with the battery; 
 facilitation of an operational change to a device associated with the battery; or 
 replacement of the battery. 
 
     
     
       7. The battery impedance tracking system of  claim 1 , wherein the battery is configured to service one or more loads. 
     
     
       8. The battery impedance tracking system of  claim 1 , wherein the battery is a Lithium-ion battery. 
     
     
       9. The battery impedance tracking system of  claim 1 , wherein the battery is a lead acid battery. 
     
     
       10. The battery impedance tracking system of  claim 1 , wherein the charge signal includes a DC component that varies over time including having a first DC component value at a first other time and a second DC component value at a second other time. 
     
     
       11. The battery impedance tracking system of  claim 1 , wherein the charge signal includes a charge profile that is based on a type of the battery. 
     
     
       12. The battery impedance tracking system of  claim 11 , wherein the charge signal includes a DC component that includes a constant level DC component value during a first time period and an increasing or decreasing DC component value during a second time period. 
     
     
       13. The battery impedance tracking system of  claim 1 , wherein the DSC further comprising:
 a comparator configured to:
 receive the reference signal from the one or more processing modules at a first comparator input and to drive the charge signal from a second comparator input to the terminal of the battery via the single line; and 
 generate an output comparator signal based on the reference signal and the charge signal; 
 
 a dependent current source operably coupled to source a current to the terminal of the battery via the single line based on control from the output comparator signal; and 
 an analog to digital converter (ADC) operably coupled to a comparator output of the comparator, wherein, when enabled, the ADC configured to process the output comparator signal to generate the digital signal representative of the impedance of the battery including the change of impedance of the battery that is based on the response of the battery to the charge signal. 
 
     
     
       14. The battery impedance tracking system of  claim 1 , wherein the DSC further comprises:
 a power source circuit operably coupled to the terminal of the battery via the single line, wherein, when enabled, the power source circuit is configured to provide the charge signal that includes the AC component via the single line coupling to the terminal of the battery, and wherein the charge signal includes a DC (direct current) component and the AC component; and 
 a power source change detection circuit operably coupled to the power source circuit, wherein, when enabled, the power source change detection circuit is configured to:
 detect an effect on the charge signal that is based on the impedance of the battery including change of the impedance of the battery that is based on the response of the battery to the charge signal; and 
 generate the digital signal representative of the impedance of the battery including the change of impedance of the battery that is based on the response of the battery to the charge signal. 
 
 
     
     
       15. The battery impedance tracking system of  claim 14  further comprising:
 the power source circuit including a power source to source at least one of a voltage or a current to the terminal of the battery via the single line; and 
 the power source change detection circuit including:
 a power source reference circuit configured to provide at least one of a voltage reference or a current reference based on the reference signal; and 
 a comparator configured to compare the at least one of the voltage or the current provided to the terminal of the battery via the single line to the at least one of the voltage reference or the current reference in accordance with producing the charge signal. 
 
 
     
     
       16. A battery impedance tracking system comprising:
 a drive-sense circuit (DSC) operably coupled to generate a charge signal that includes an AC (alternating current) component based on a reference signal, wherein the charge signal used for both charging of a battery and characterization of the battery during charging of the battery, and the charge signal includes a DC component that varies over time including having a first DC component value at a first other time and a second DC component value at a second other time, wherein, when enabled, the DSC configured to:
 provide the charge signal to a terminal of the battery via a single line and simultaneously to sense the charge signal via the single line such that the charge signal provided via the single line facilitates both the charging of the battery and the characterization of the battery during the charging of the battery, wherein sensing of the charge signal includes detection of impedance of the battery including change of the impedance of the battery that is based on a response of the battery to the charge signal; and 
 generate a digital signal representative of the impedance of the battery including the change of impedance of the battery that is based on the response of the battery to the charge signal; 
 
 memory that stores operational instructions; and 
 one or more processing modules operably coupled to the DSC and the memory, wherein, when enabled, the one or more processing modules is configured to:
 execute the operational instructions to track the impedance of the battery including the change of impedance of the battery that is based on the response of the battery to the charge signal during the charging of the battery; and 
 generate an impedance profile of the battery during the charging of the battery. 
 
 
     
     
       17. The battery impedance tracking system of  claim 16 , wherein, when enabled, the one or more processing modules is further configured to execute the operational instructions to generate a first impedance profile of the battery during a first charging cycle of the battery and a second impedance profile of the battery during a second charging cycle of the battery. 
     
     
       18. The battery impedance tracking system of  claim 17 , wherein, when enabled, the one or more processing modules is further configured to execute the operational instructions to:
 determine a change between the first impedance profile of the battery during the first charging cycle of the battery and the second impedance profile of the battery during the second charging cycle of the battery; and 
 process the change between the first impedance profile of the battery during the first charging cycle of the battery and the second impedance profile of the battery during the second charging cycle of the battery to determine that the battery is trending towards failure. 
 
     
     
       19. The battery impedance tracking system of  claim 16 , wherein the DSC further comprises:
 a power source circuit operably coupled to the terminal of the battery via the single line, wherein, when enabled, the power source circuit is configured to provide the charge signal that includes the AC component via the single line coupling to the terminal of the battery, and wherein the charge signal includes a DC (direct current) component and the AC component; and 
 a power source change detection circuit operably coupled to the power source circuit, wherein, when enabled, the power source change detection circuit is configured to:
 detect an effect on the charge signal that is based on the impedance of the battery including change of the impedance of the battery that is based on the response of the battery to the charge signal; and 
 generate the digital signal representative of the impedance of the battery including the change of impedance of the battery that is based on the response of the battery to the charge signal. 
 
 
     
     
       20. The battery impedance tracking system of  claim 19  further comprising:
 the power source circuit including a power source to source at least one of a voltage or a current to the terminal of the battery via the single line; and 
 the power source change detection circuit including:
 a power source reference circuit configured to provide at least one of a voltage reference or a current reference based on the reference signal; and 
 a comparator configured to compare the at least one of the voltage or the current provided to the terminal of the battery via the single line to the at least one of the voltage reference or the current reference in accordance with producing the charge signal.